The Duke-UNC China Leadership Summit (CLS) Essay Contest
The Duke-UNC CLS invites students around the world to write and submit essays on U.S.-China relations.
A Global Forum for Student Voices on U.S.-China Affairs
The Duke CLS Essay Competition invites high school and undergraduate students from anywhere in the world to engage substantively with the most consequential geopolitical relationship of our time.
This annual competition is designed not to test knowledge alone, but to cultivate the kind of analytical depth, original argument, and intellectual honesty that serious inquiry demands. We welcome essays that are ambitious, specific, and willing to defend a position.
Outstanding essays may be invited for recognition at the 2027 Duke-UNC CLS in Durham, North Carolina.
Open globally. This contest welcomes submissions from students at any high school or university anywhere in the world. All essays must be written in English.
Competition Overview
Choose Your Category
Compare U.S. and Chinese approaches to AI governance between 2023 and 2025. What does the comparison reveal about how each government understands what AI is and what it does?
Choosing either China or the United States, has economic interdependence been a cause of harm or benefit? What are the implications for the future?
Does the world need U.S.-China cooperation to solve climate change?
Note: High school students may also attempt Prompts IV-VI, subject to the 1,500-word limit. High school students who submit to the undergraduate category will be considered for recognition in the undergraduate category. Undergraduate students are limited to this category.
- Imagine writing, in 2032, a prospective analysis of a major U.S.-China-related policy outcome whose origins lie in decisions being made right now. The outcome has not happened yet. It is being set up by current choices.
- Identify the decision or pattern of decisions that will produce this outcome.
- Determine the extent to which this outcome is a success or failure, and defend the causal account.
- Project what the outcome will look like and what its consequences will be.
- Propose what should be done now, with specificity, to ensure or avert this outcome.
As China's rise and U.S.-China competition reshape global institutions, how should middle powers and regional blocs adapt their policies over the next decade to maximize their strategic interests? Assess current dynamics, forecast likely shifts, and propose innovative strategic frameworks for your chosen actor.
Drawing on current models of how China, the U.S., and the EU treat data, digital infrastructure, and advanced technologies as matters of sovereign control, propose governance frameworks that are both innovative and realistic, frameworks that could better balance competing interests across these three actors.
Frequently Asked
Is there an entry fee?
Yes. There is a $25 fee per submission, which helps fund student prizes and supports the ongoing work of Duke-UNC CLS. Essays submitted after the September 15, 2026 deadline and before the late deadline of October 4, 2026 are accepted with an additional late fee.
Pay HereWhat do you get if you win?
Winning essays receive recognition at the 2027 CLS Summit and gain access to the undergraduate-only CLS annual conference. Winners also have the option to present their findings to a panel of experts working in U.S.-China affairs.
Who can enter?
The competition is open to high school and undergraduate students anywhere in the world. There are no residency, citizenship, or geographic restrictions, and all essays must be written in English.
How do I submit my essay?
Email your essay as a PDF to contact@dukeunccls.com before the deadline. Include a cover page with your name, school, and the prompt you selected.
How to Enter
Follow the steps below. Submissions are accepted from students anywhere in the world.
Email your essay
Send your submission to contact@dukeunccls.com with the subject line: Duke CLS Essay Competition 2026 - [YourLastName]
Use your official email if possible
If you have an official school or university email address, please send from that address. A personal email is also accepted.
Attach your essay as a PDF
Your essay file should be a PDF. Please do not submit in other formats such as .docx or .pages.
Include a cover page
Your PDF must begin with a cover page. See the required fields to the right.
Cover Page Requirements
For questions, contact us at contact@dukeunccls.com. Decisions of the review committee are final.
AI Use and Academic Integrity
You may use AI tools to develop your thinking, explore counterarguments, or pressure-test your ideas. What you submit must be your own writing. The strongest essays in a competition like this are ones where a student has genuinely grappled with a hard question, formed a view, and defended it. That process does not outsource well. Reviewers are attentive to the difference, and essays that reflect original thinking will stand out over those that do not.
Plagiarism is presenting the work or ideas of another person, with or without their consent, as your own. It applies to published and unpublished material, and may be intentional or inadvertent.
Your essay should be entirely your own work. Where you draw on the ideas or words of others, even loosely, you must acknowledge your sources explicitly. This applies whether you are quoting directly, paraphrasing, or building on someone else's argument.
Submissions found to contain plagiarism will be disqualified. If you are uncertain whether something requires attribution, the answer is almost always yes.
What We Expect
Original Work
All submissions must be the sole original work of the applicant. AI-generated content and collaborative writing are not permitted. Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
Argument and Evidence
Strong essays make a clear, defensible claim and support it with specific evidence. We value precision over breadth. Avoid vague generalities and show your reasoning.
References and Format
References may be provided as appropriate. No specific citation style is required, but be consistent and clear. Include a cover page with your name, school, and selected prompt.
Category Eligibility
Undergraduate students are limited to the undergraduate category. High school students may respond to any prompt in either category. High school students who submit to the undergraduate category will be evaluated alongside undergraduates and are eligible for recognition in the undergraduate category.
Evaluation Criteria
Essays are judged on clarity of argument, quality of evidence, analytical depth, originality, and prose quality. A well-structured essay that engages honestly with counterarguments will be rewarded.
Global Submissions
Students from any country are welcome to submit. Essays must be written in English. There are no residency, citizenship, or geographic restrictions of any kind.
Ready to Submit?
Email your essay to contact@dukeunccls.com by September 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. A late deadline of October 4, 2026 is available (late fee applies). Students from anywhere in the world are welcome.